US6259371B1 - Power surge detection device - Google Patents

Power surge detection device Download PDF

Info

Publication number
US6259371B1
US6259371B1 US09/200,175 US20017598A US6259371B1 US 6259371 B1 US6259371 B1 US 6259371B1 US 20017598 A US20017598 A US 20017598A US 6259371 B1 US6259371 B1 US 6259371B1
Authority
US
United States
Prior art keywords
signal
voltage
detection device
power
circuit
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
US09/200,175
Inventor
Nai-Shung Chang
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Via Technologies Inc
Original Assignee
Via Technologies Inc
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Assigned to VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. reassignment VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: CHANG, NAI-SHUNG
Application filed by Via Technologies Inc filed Critical Via Technologies Inc
Assigned to VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. reassignment VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST RE-RECORD TO CORRECT THE RECORDATION DATE OF 11-20-98 TO 11-25-98 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL 9617,FRAME 159 Assignors: CHANG, NAI-SHUNG
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of US6259371B1 publication Critical patent/US6259371B1/en
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

Links

Images

Classifications

    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
    • G06F1/26—Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof
    • G06F1/28—Supervision thereof, e.g. detecting power-supply failure by out of limits supervision
    • G—PHYSICS
    • G06—COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06F—ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING
    • G06F1/00—Details not covered by groups G06F3/00 - G06F13/00 and G06F21/00
    • G06F1/26—Power supply means, e.g. regulation thereof
    • G06F1/30—Means for acting in the event of power-supply failure or interruption, e.g. power-supply fluctuations

Definitions

  • the present invention generally relates to a power surge detection device, and more particularly to a device for detecting power surges occurring in a computer system.
  • a power supply is an essential component in electrical equipment to provide the required power source.
  • Computer systems are no exception. However, the reliability of a power source required by different electrical equipment can be quite different.
  • a computer system typically requires a higher reliability from the power source so as to avoid data loss, calculation errors, or even system failures.
  • a switching power supply is generally adopted in a computer system. Therefore, the load factor is maintained at a ratio of about 75% ⁇ 85% to prevent overloading to the power supply itself.
  • the power supply When the output voltage exceeds the rated voltage by 10%, the power supply is turned off to protect the circuit from being damaged.
  • the power supply When the output current exceeds the rated current by 10%, the power supply is turned off to protect the circuit from being damaged and prevent further damages due to a short circuit from external circuits.
  • the power supply currently used in a computer system emphasizes on the above-mentioned protections. Generally, there is no power surge protection built within a computer system.
  • a central processing unit has had an operating frequency up to several hundred MHz. With a pipe line computation, it can execute an instruction per one clock cycle.
  • the Pentium II CPU from INTEL, which adopts a specification of guning transceiver logic (GTL) PLUS bus, has a signal variation ranges from 0 ⁇ 1.5 volt.
  • the threshold voltages for high and low levels are 1.0 ⁇ 200 mV.
  • the computer system allows only a relatively small range for voltage variation.
  • a power surge to the computer system will significantly affect the input/output signals.
  • the pipe line of the CPU is well designed, almost an instruction is executed for every clock cycle, which means data are continuously transmitted for every clock cycle.
  • the power surge occurred not only damages the data transmitted from or to the CPU, but also causes data losses, calculation errors, or even system failures.
  • an alerting signal for example, an interrupt signal or a power management signal, is sent to the main processor to intervene in the normal operation of the computer system so as to avoid the power instability period.
  • a power surge detection device to detect power surges from a power source, in which a control circuit, a high-speed voltage detection circuit, and a counter are included.
  • the control circuit is responsible for monitoring operations of the power surge detection device.
  • the high-speed voltage detection circuit receives a voltage-controlled signal provided by the control circuit, based on which a detection signal is generated and sent to the counter when a power surge occurs.
  • the counter enumerates the times that power surges have occurred, and sends statistical results to the control circuit.
  • the power surge detection device further comprises a main processor interface, which serves as an interface to facilitate the communication between the control circuit and the main processor.
  • the main processor interface can be an integrated circuit bus (I 2 C bus) interface, a system management bus (SMBUS), or an internal register.
  • the power surge detection device further comprises an alerting signal generator coupled to the control circuit. When the counter reaches a preset value, the control circuit issues a command requesting the alerting signal generator to send an alerting signal to the main processor.
  • the alerting signal can be an interrupt signal or a power management signal.
  • the preset value can be set into the control circuit by the main processor via the main processor interface.
  • the high-speed voltage detection circuit comprises a comparator, a reference voltage generator, and a control gate.
  • the comparator comprises two inputs connected to a reference voltage and a power source, and an output for generating a comparison signal. If the power source has a voltage larger than the reference voltage, the comparison signal from the comparator activates. Different reference voltages can be obtained by controlling the voltage selection control signal. Comparison signal from the comparator between the reference voltage and the power source is connected to a control gate, which outputs a detection signal when the clock is also activated.
  • the control gate can be a AND gate.
  • the above-mentioned reference voltage generator comprises a voltage generation circuit and a voltage selection circuit.
  • the voltage generation circuit generates a plurality of different output voltages, from which a reference voltage is chosen through the control of the voltage selection circuit.
  • the voltage selection circuit comprises a plurality of switches and a decoder. The inputs of the switch are connected to the voltage outputs from the voltage generation circuit and the outputs of the switches are connected together to provide a reference voltage.
  • the decoder is used to decode the voltage selection control signal into a plurality of switch control signals to control the switches, respectively. Only one switch control signal is activated at one time to turn on a switch.
  • FIG. 1 is a block diagrammatic representation of a computer system including a power surge detection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention
  • FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the power surge detection device of FIG. 1;
  • FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the high-speed voltage detection circuit of FIG. 2;
  • FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the reference voltage generator of FIG. 3;
  • FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the voltage selection circuit of FIG. 4;
  • FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a power surge detection device for two power sources.
  • FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the high-speed voltage detection circuit of FIG. 6 .
  • FIG. 1 a block diagrammatic representation of a computer system including a power surge detection device is depicted, including a main processor 100 and a power surge detection device 200 .
  • a power source SV is connected to the main processor 100 to provide the operating power source required.
  • a clock signal CLK is connected to the main processor 100 to time and synchronize internal operations in the computer system.
  • the main processor 100 includes a central processing processor (CPU) and CPU-related control circuits.
  • CPU central processing processor
  • the CPU communicates with other devices through a chipset. Therefore, a single block including the CPU and its related control circuits is used to facilitate the following discussions of the present invention.
  • the power surge detection device 200 is used to investigate the effects of voltage variations from the power source SV, such as number of times that power surges occurred.
  • the power surge detection device 200 communicates with the main processor 100 through a connection 110 , including receiving an instruction from the main processor 100 and sending data to the main processor 100 .
  • the main processor 100 is sensitive to power surges, particularly when the main processor 100 is accessing data.
  • operations of the main processor 100 are synchronized with the power surge detection device 200 by the clock signal CLK. Therefore, power surges are detected based on the clock signal CLK.
  • the power surge detection device 200 sends an alerting signal I to the main processor 100 , for example, an interrupt signal or a power management signal, so that appropriate actions, such as sending a power save mode enabling signal to temporarily halt the main processor 100 , can be taken.
  • an alerting signal I for example, an interrupt signal or a power management signal
  • a functional block diagram of the power surge detection device 200 of FIG. 1 is depicted, including a control circuit 210 , a high-speed voltage detection circuit 220 , a counter 230 , an alerting signal generator 240 , and a main processor interface 250 .
  • the control circuit 210 is responsible for monitoring the operation of the power surge detection device 200 .
  • the high-speed detection circuit 220 controlled by the control circuit 210 , is used to detect power surges from the power source SV, and output a detection signal EO to the counter 230 when a power surge occurs.
  • the detection signal EO generated by the high-speed voltage detection circuit 220 activates only when the clock signal CLK is activated and a power surge from the power source SV is occurring.
  • the counter 230 is used to enumerate the number of times that the detection signal EO is activated, i.e., the number of times that power surge has occurred from the power source SV.
  • the result stored in the counter 230 can be accessed by the control circuit 210 , through which the main processor 100 can inquire the current status of power surge from the counter 230 .
  • the main processor 100 can also issue a command to the control circuit 210 reset the counter 230 to start a fresh counting.
  • a main processor interface 250 for example, an integrated circuit bus (I 2 C bus), a system management bus (SMBUS), or an internal register, is used to communicate between the control circuit 210 and the main processor 100 .
  • An alerting signal generator 240 connected to the control circuit 210 sends an alerting signal I to the main processor 100 when the counter 230 reaches a preset value, so that the main processor 100 can take appropriate actions. For example, when power surges occurs frequently within a certain period, the main processor 100 informed by the alerting signal generator 240 can be temporarily stopped to avoid abnormal operation and data losses. When the power source SV is back to normal, operations can then be resumed.
  • the alerting signal generator 240 generates various alerting signals, for example, an interrupt signal, a non-maskable interrupt (NMI), or a power management signal, to the main processor 100 , depending on functions required. Also, the preset value for generating an alerting signal can be set into the control circuit 210 by the main processor 100 through the main processor interface 250 .
  • NMI non-maskable interrupt
  • FIG. 3 a block diagram of the high-speed voltage detection circuit of FIG. 2 is depicted, including a comparator 310 , a control gate 320 , and a reference voltage generator 330 .
  • the reference voltage generator 330 controlled by a voltage selection control signal SC is used to generate a reference voltage V r suitable for measuring a power surge from the power source SV and adaptable to different levels of voltage variation.
  • the reference voltage V r is provided by the reference voltage generator 330 in FIG. 3, however, it can also be provided by an external voltage source.
  • the comparator 310 has two inputs for receiving signals from both the power source SV and the reference voltage V r .
  • a comparison signal CO is activated when the voltage of the power source SV is larger than the reference voltage V r .
  • the comparing result CO from the comparator 310 is activated at, for example, a high potential level.
  • a high-speed operational amplifier can be adopted as the comparator 310 , so that a transient power surge can be captured.
  • the comparison signal EO from the comparator 310 is connected to a control gate 320 , for example, an AND gate. As shown in FIG. 3, the comparison signal CO and a clock signal CLK are connected to the inputs of the AND gate 320 , and a detection signal EO is obtained from the output of the AND gate 320 .
  • the detection signal EO is HIGH only if the comparison signal CO and the clock CLK are all HIGH.
  • FIG. 4 a block diagram of the reference voltage generator 330 of FIG. 3 is shown, including a voltage generation circuit 410 and a voltage selection circuit 420 .
  • the voltage generation circuit 410 generates a plurality of different output voltages V I ⁇ V N connecting to inputs of the voltage selection circuit 420 .
  • the voltage selection circuit 420 controlled by a voltage selection control signal SC to choose a reference voltage V r among the output voltages V I ⁇ V N .
  • the voltage selection circuit 420 comprises a plurality of switches 511 ⁇ 51 N and a decoder 520 . Inputs of the switches 511 ⁇ 51 N are connected to the output voltages V I ⁇ V N from the voltage generation circuit, respectively, while outputs of the switches 511 ⁇ 51 N are connected together to provide a reference voltage V r
  • the switches 511 ⁇ 51 N comprise electronic switches, for example, field-effect transistors (FET).
  • FET field-effect transistors
  • the decoder 520 decodes the voltage selection control signal SC into a plurality of switch control signals C I ⁇ C N to control switches 511 ⁇ 51 N, respectively.
  • the main processor 100 can reset the counter 230 and set a preset value for generating an alerting signal by issuing a command and parameters to the control circuit 210 through the main processor interface 250 .
  • the high-speed voltage detection circuit 220 is used to detect power surges from the power source SV.
  • the detection signal EO is activated so that the counter value is increased by 1.
  • the control circuit 210 will instruct the alerting signal generator 240 to issue an alerting signal I, for example, an interrupt signal or power management signal, to the main processor 100 to interrupt the operation of the main processor 100 .
  • the main processor 100 can also inquire the current status of the power surges occurred from the control circuit 210 through the main processor interface 250 .
  • the preset value for generating an alerting signal can also be set into the control circuit 210 in the same way.
  • the main processor 100 can reduce the operating frequency to prevent the system from being damaged.
  • FIG. 6 a block diagram of a power surge detection device 600 for two power sources is shown, including a control circuit 610 , a voltage generation circuit 710 , high-speed voltage detection circuits 621 and 622 , counters 631 and 632 , an alerting signal generator 640 , and a main processor interface 650 .
  • the voltage generation circuit 710 provides output voltages V I ⁇ V N to the high-speed voltage detection circuits 621 and 622 to generate reference voltages required.
  • the rest of the components in FIG. 6 are functioned almost the same as FIG. 2, and therefore not described hereon.
  • FIG. 7 a block diagram of the high-speed voltage detection circuits 621 and 622 of FIG. 6 is shown.
  • the high-speed voltage detection circuits 621 and 622 share the same voltage generation circuit 710 .
  • the voltage selection control signals SC 1 and SC 2 are used to control the voltage selection circuits 721 and 722 to obtain the desired reference voltages V r1 and V r2 , respectively.
  • the rest of the components in FIG. 7 are functioned the same as FIG. 3, and are therefore not described hereon.
  • a power surge detection device for monitoring multiple power sources can be constructed by including additional high-speed voltage detection circuits and counters. Furthermore, the high-speed voltage detection circuits can share a single voltage generation circuit.
  • the power surge detection device can be used to monitor power surges from the power sources required by the main processor.
  • the device can send an alerting signal to the main processor, for example, an interrupt signal or a power management signal, to interrupt the normal operation of the main processor.
  • the main processor can also inquire the current status of the power source or reset a preset value for generating an alerting signal through the main processor interface.
  • the main processor can reduce the operating frequency to prevent the system from being damaged. Therefore, the power surge detection device according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention can avoid data losses and calculation errors in a computer system to maintain a smooth operation for the computer system.

Abstract

A power surge detection device is disclosed to investigate if there is any power surge occurring to a main processor in a computer system. When the width or frequency of power surges detected jeopardize the normal operation of the computer system, an alerting signal, for example, an interrupt signal or a power management signal, is sent to the main processor to intervene in the normal operation of the computer system so as to avoid the power instability period.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims the priority benefit of Taiwan application serial no. 87112613, filed Jul. 31, 1998, the full disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of Invention
The present invention generally relates to a power surge detection device, and more particularly to a device for detecting power surges occurring in a computer system.
2. Description of Related Art
A power supply is an essential component in electrical equipment to provide the required power source. Computer systems are no exception. However, the reliability of a power source required by different electrical equipment can be quite different. A computer system typically requires a higher reliability from the power source so as to avoid data loss, calculation errors, or even system failures.
So far, emphasis on a power supply of a computer system is mainly on the following items:
1. The operating efficiency of the power supply:
A switching power supply is generally adopted in a computer system. Therefore, the load factor is maintained at a ratio of about 75%˜85% to prevent overloading to the power supply itself.
2. Overload voltage protection:
When the output voltage exceeds the rated voltage by 10%, the power supply is turned off to protect the circuit from being damaged.
3. Overload current protection:
When the output current exceeds the rated current by 10%, the power supply is turned off to protect the circuit from being damaged and prevent further damages due to a short circuit from external circuits.
The power supply currently used in a computer system emphasizes on the above-mentioned protections. Generally, there is no power surge protection built within a computer system.
Power surges occur in many ways from, for example, lightning in the sky, or an operating machine that consumes large power. In the past, the computer can generally tolerate a poorer reliability from the power supply, because the operating speed and frequency are relatively low and the input/output voltages are relatively high. However, the operating speed of computers of the present generation has significantly increased. A central processing unit (CPU) has had an operating frequency up to several hundred MHz. With a pipe line computation, it can execute an instruction per one clock cycle. For example, the Pentium II CPU from INTEL, which adopts a specification of guning transceiver logic (GTL) PLUS bus, has a signal variation ranges from 0˜1.5 volt. The threshold voltages for high and low levels are 1.0±200 mV. As a result, the computer system allows only a relatively small range for voltage variation. A power surge to the computer system will significantly affect the input/output signals. Also, since the pipe line of the CPU is well designed, almost an instruction is executed for every clock cycle, which means data are continuously transmitted for every clock cycle. The power surge occurred not only damages the data transmitted from or to the CPU, but also causes data losses, calculation errors, or even system failures.
From the above-mentioned descriptions, it is understood that there is a deficiency in detecting a power surge in a conventional computer system to provide a stable power source required by the computer system that allows only a relatively small range for voltage variation. When a power surge occurs, data losses, calculation errors, or even system failures might occur to the computer system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide a power surge detection device to examine if there is any power surge occurring in the power supply to a main processor of a computer system. When the width or frequency of power surges detected jeopardize the normal operation of the computer system, an alerting signal, for example, an interrupt signal or a power management signal, is sent to the main processor to intervene in the normal operation of the computer system so as to avoid the power instability period.
In accordance with the foregoing and other objectives of the present invention, a power surge detection device to detect power surges from a power source is provided, in which a control circuit, a high-speed voltage detection circuit, and a counter are included. The control circuit is responsible for monitoring operations of the power surge detection device. The high-speed voltage detection circuit receives a voltage-controlled signal provided by the control circuit, based on which a detection signal is generated and sent to the counter when a power surge occurs. The counter enumerates the times that power surges have occurred, and sends statistical results to the control circuit.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the power surge detection device further comprises a main processor interface, which serves as an interface to facilitate the communication between the control circuit and the main processor. The main processor interface can be an integrated circuit bus (I2C bus) interface, a system management bus (SMBUS), or an internal register. The power surge detection device further comprises an alerting signal generator coupled to the control circuit. When the counter reaches a preset value, the control circuit issues a command requesting the alerting signal generator to send an alerting signal to the main processor. The alerting signal can be an interrupt signal or a power management signal. The preset value can be set into the control circuit by the main processor via the main processor interface.
The high-speed voltage detection circuit comprises a comparator, a reference voltage generator, and a control gate. The comparator comprises two inputs connected to a reference voltage and a power source, and an output for generating a comparison signal. If the power source has a voltage larger than the reference voltage, the comparison signal from the comparator activates. Different reference voltages can be obtained by controlling the voltage selection control signal. Comparison signal from the comparator between the reference voltage and the power source is connected to a control gate, which outputs a detection signal when the clock is also activated. The control gate can be a AND gate.
The above-mentioned reference voltage generator comprises a voltage generation circuit and a voltage selection circuit. The voltage generation circuit generates a plurality of different output voltages, from which a reference voltage is chosen through the control of the voltage selection circuit. The voltage selection circuit comprises a plurality of switches and a decoder. The inputs of the switch are connected to the voltage outputs from the voltage generation circuit and the outputs of the switches are connected together to provide a reference voltage. The decoder is used to decode the voltage selection control signal into a plurality of switch control signals to control the switches, respectively. Only one switch control signal is activated at one time to turn on a switch.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary, and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the invention, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention. In the drawings,
FIG. 1 is a block diagrammatic representation of a computer system including a power surge detection device according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of the power surge detection device of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the high-speed voltage detection circuit of FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the reference voltage generator of FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the voltage selection circuit of FIG. 4;
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a power surge detection device for two power sources; and
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the high-speed voltage detection circuit of FIG. 6.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Reference will now be made in detail to the present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers are used in the drawings and the description to refer to the same or like parts.
With reference to FIG. 1, a block diagrammatic representation of a computer system including a power surge detection device is depicted, including a main processor 100 and a power surge detection device 200. A power source SV is connected to the main processor 100 to provide the operating power source required. A clock signal CLK is connected to the main processor 100 to time and synchronize internal operations in the computer system. The main processor 100 includes a central processing processor (CPU) and CPU-related control circuits. For example, in a widely used personal computer, the CPU communicates with other devices through a chipset. Therefore, a single block including the CPU and its related control circuits is used to facilitate the following discussions of the present invention.
The power surge detection device 200 is used to investigate the effects of voltage variations from the power source SV, such as number of times that power surges occurred. The power surge detection device 200 communicates with the main processor 100 through a connection 110, including receiving an instruction from the main processor 100 and sending data to the main processor 100. Note that the main processor 100 is sensitive to power surges, particularly when the main processor 100 is accessing data. Also, operations of the main processor 100 are synchronized with the power surge detection device 200 by the clock signal CLK. Therefore, power surges are detected based on the clock signal CLK. When a power surge up to a certain level, for example, a width large enough to jeopardize the normal operation of the main processor 100, is detected, the power surge detection device 200 sends an alerting signal I to the main processor 100, for example, an interrupt signal or a power management signal, so that appropriate actions, such as sending a power save mode enabling signal to temporarily halt the main processor 100, can be taken.
With reference to FIG. 2, a functional block diagram of the power surge detection device 200 of FIG. 1 is depicted, including a control circuit 210, a high-speed voltage detection circuit 220, a counter 230, an alerting signal generator 240, and a main processor interface 250. The control circuit 210 is responsible for monitoring the operation of the power surge detection device 200. The high-speed detection circuit 220, controlled by the control circuit 210, is used to detect power surges from the power source SV, and output a detection signal EO to the counter 230 when a power surge occurs. The detection signal EO generated by the high-speed voltage detection circuit 220 activates only when the clock signal CLK is activated and a power surge from the power source SV is occurring.
The counter 230 is used to enumerate the number of times that the detection signal EO is activated, i.e., the number of times that power surge has occurred from the power source SV. The result stored in the counter 230 can be accessed by the control circuit 210, through which the main processor 100 can inquire the current status of power surge from the counter 230. The main processor 100 can also issue a command to the control circuit 210 reset the counter 230 to start a fresh counting.
A main processor interface 250, for example, an integrated circuit bus (I2C bus), a system management bus (SMBUS), or an internal register, is used to communicate between the control circuit 210 and the main processor 100. An alerting signal generator 240 connected to the control circuit 210 sends an alerting signal I to the main processor 100 when the counter 230 reaches a preset value, so that the main processor 100 can take appropriate actions. For example, when power surges occurs frequently within a certain period, the main processor 100 informed by the alerting signal generator 240 can be temporarily stopped to avoid abnormal operation and data losses. When the power source SV is back to normal, operations can then be resumed. The alerting signal generator 240 generates various alerting signals, for example, an interrupt signal, a non-maskable interrupt (NMI), or a power management signal, to the main processor 100, depending on functions required. Also, the preset value for generating an alerting signal can be set into the control circuit 210 by the main processor 100 through the main processor interface 250.
With reference to FIG. 3, a block diagram of the high-speed voltage detection circuit of FIG. 2 is depicted, including a comparator 310, a control gate 320, and a reference voltage generator 330. The reference voltage generator 330 controlled by a voltage selection control signal SC is used to generate a reference voltage Vr suitable for measuring a power surge from the power source SV and adaptable to different levels of voltage variation. The reference voltage Vr is provided by the reference voltage generator 330 in FIG. 3, however, it can also be provided by an external voltage source. The comparator 310 has two inputs for receiving signals from both the power source SV and the reference voltage Vr. A comparison signal CO is activated when the voltage of the power source SV is larger than the reference voltage Vr. That is, when the “+” input is higher than the “−” input of the comparator 310, the comparing result CO from the comparator 310 is activated at, for example, a high potential level. A high-speed operational amplifier can be adopted as the comparator 310, so that a transient power surge can be captured. The comparison signal EO from the comparator 310 is connected to a control gate 320, for example, an AND gate. As shown in FIG. 3, the comparison signal CO and a clock signal CLK are connected to the inputs of the AND gate 320, and a detection signal EO is obtained from the output of the AND gate 320. The detection signal EO is HIGH only if the comparison signal CO and the clock CLK are all HIGH.
With reference to FIG. 4, a block diagram of the reference voltage generator 330 of FIG. 3 is shown, including a voltage generation circuit 410 and a voltage selection circuit 420. The voltage generation circuit 410 generates a plurality of different output voltages VI˜VN connecting to inputs of the voltage selection circuit 420. The voltage selection circuit 420 controlled by a voltage selection control signal SC to choose a reference voltage Vr among the output voltages VI˜VN.
With reference to FIG. 5, a block diagram of the voltage selection circuit 420 of FIG. 4 is shown. The voltage selection circuit 420 comprises a plurality of switches 511˜51N and a decoder 520. Inputs of the switches 511˜51N are connected to the output voltages VI˜V N from the voltage generation circuit, respectively, while outputs of the switches 511˜51N are connected together to provide a reference voltage Vr The switches 511˜51N comprise electronic switches, for example, field-effect transistors (FET). The decoder 520 decodes the voltage selection control signal SC into a plurality of switch control signals CI˜C N to control switches 511˜51N, respectively. When one of the switch control signals CI˜CN is activated, the corresponding switch is ON. There is only one switch control signal activated at one time. That is, only one of the switches 511˜51N is ON, implying only one of the output voltages VI˜VN is selected by the voltage selection control signal SC to provide a reference voltage Vr.
From the above-mentioned descriptions, it is understood that the main processor 100 can reset the counter 230 and set a preset value for generating an alerting signal by issuing a command and parameters to the control circuit 210 through the main processor interface 250. Subsequently, the high-speed voltage detection circuit 220 is used to detect power surges from the power source SV. When there is a power surge from the power source SV and the clock signal CLK is activated, the detection signal EO is activated so that the counter value is increased by 1. When the counter 230 reaches the preset value, which implies the effects of the power surges have reached a level which jeopardizes the normal operation of the main processor 100, the control circuit 210 will instruct the alerting signal generator 240 to issue an alerting signal I, for example, an interrupt signal or power management signal, to the main processor 100 to interrupt the operation of the main processor 100. The main processor 100 can also inquire the current status of the power surges occurred from the control circuit 210 through the main processor interface 250. The preset value for generating an alerting signal can also be set into the control circuit 210 in the same way. When the power source SV becomes unstable with many power surges detected, the main processor 100 can reduce the operating frequency to prevent the system from being damaged.
With reference to FIG. 6, a block diagram of a power surge detection device 600 for two power sources is shown, including a control circuit 610, a voltage generation circuit 710, high-speed voltage detection circuits 621 and 622, counters 631 and 632, an alerting signal generator 640, and a main processor interface 650. Compared with FIG. 2, there are two sets of high-speed voltage detection circuits and counters in the power surge detection device 600 to monitor power sources SV1 and SV2 in FIG. 6. The voltage generation circuit 710 provides output voltages VI˜VN to the high-speed voltage detection circuits 621 and 622 to generate reference voltages required. The rest of the components in FIG. 6 are functioned almost the same as FIG. 2, and therefore not described hereon.
With reference to FIG. 7, a block diagram of the high-speed voltage detection circuits 621 and 622 of FIG. 6 is shown. The high-speed voltage detection circuits 621 and 622 share the same voltage generation circuit 710. The voltage selection control signals SC1 and SC2 are used to control the voltage selection circuits 721 and 722 to obtain the desired reference voltages Vr1 and Vr2, respectively. The rest of the components in FIG. 7 are functioned the same as FIG. 3, and are therefore not described hereon.
From the above-mentioned descriptions, a power surge detection device for monitoring multiple power sources can be constructed by including additional high-speed voltage detection circuits and counters. Furthermore, the high-speed voltage detection circuits can share a single voltage generation circuit.
It is understood that the power surge detection device according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention can be used to monitor power surges from the power sources required by the main processor. When the width or frequency of power surges jeopardize the normal operation of the main processor, the device can send an alerting signal to the main processor, for example, an interrupt signal or a power management signal, to interrupt the normal operation of the main processor. The main processor can also inquire the current status of the power source or reset a preset value for generating an alerting signal through the main processor interface. When the power source becomes unstable for a certain period with many power surges detected, the main processor can reduce the operating frequency to prevent the system from being damaged. Therefore, the power surge detection device according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention can avoid data losses and calculation errors in a computer system to maintain a smooth operation for the computer system.
It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made to the structure of the present invention without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. In view of the foregoing, it is intended that the present invention cover modifications and variations of this invention provided they fall within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims (43)

What is claimed is:
1. A power surge detection device for detecting power surges from a power source, comprising:
a power source, external to the power surge detection device, for use with a high frequency device;
a control circuit, responsible for monitoring operations of the power surge detection device;
a high-speed voltage detection circuit controlled by a voltage-controlled signal from the control circuit, wherein a detection signal from the high-speed voltage detection circuit is activated when a power surge from the power source occurs based on the voltage-controlled signal; and
a counter connected to both the high-speed voltage detection circuit and the control circuit for enumerating the number of times that power surges have occurred.
2. The power surge detection device of claim 1 further comprises a main processor interface to facilitate the communication between the control circuit and a main processor.
3. The power surge detection device of claim 2, wherein the main processor interface comprises an integrated circuit bus (I2C bus) interface.
4. The power surge detection device of claim 2 further comprises an alerting signal generator connected to the control circuit, wherein when the counter reaches a preset value, the control circuit issues a command requesting the alerting signal generator to generate an alerting signal.
5. The power surge detection device of claim 4, wherein the alerting signal comprises an interrupt signal.
6. The power surge detection device of claim 4, wherein the alerting signal comprises a power management signal.
7. The power surge detection device of claim 4, wherein the preset value is set by the main processor through the main processor interface.
8. The power surge detection device of claim 1, wherein the high-speed voltage detection circuit comprises:
a comparator comprising two inputs connected to a reference voltage and the power source, and an output for generating a comparison signal, wherein the comparison signal from the comparator activates when the voltage of the power source is larger than the reference voltage; and
a control gate which receives inputs from the comparison signal and a clock signal, wherein a detection signal from the control gate is activated when the clock signal and the comparison signal are activated.
9. The power surge detection device of claim 8, wherein the reference voltage comprises an external voltage source.
10. The power surge detection device of claim 8, wherein the high-speed voltage detection circuit further comprises a reference voltage generator controlled by the voltage-controlled signal to generate a plurality of different voltages.
11. The power surge detection device of claim 8, wherein the control gate comprises an AND gate having at least two inputs and one output, wherein the comparison signal and the clock signal are connected to the inputs of the AND gate, and the detection signal is obtained from the output of the AND gate, wherein the detection signal is HIGH only if the comparison signal and the clock signal are all HIGH.
12. The power surge detection device of claim 10, wherein the reference voltage generator comprises:
a voltage generation circuit to generate a plurality of different output voltages; and
a voltage selection circuit having a plurality of inputs connected to the output voltages from the voltage generation circuit, respectively, wherein the reference voltage is chosen from one of output voltages from the voltage generation circuit by controlling the voltage-controlled signal.
13. The power surge detection device of claim 12, wherein the voltage selection circuit comprises:
a plurality of switches, wherein inputs of the switch are connected to the voltage outputs from the voltage generation circuit and outputs of the switches are connected together to provide the reference voltage; and
a decoder to decode the voltage-controlled signal into a plurality of switch control signals to control the switches, wherein only one switch control signal is activated at one time to turn on one switch.
14. The power surge detection device of claim 8, wherein the clock signal is used by the main processor.
15. A power surge detection device for detecting power surges from a power source, comprising:
a power source, external to the power surge detection device, for use with a high frequency device;
a control circuit, responsible for monitoring operations of the power surge detection device;
a high-speed voltage detection circuit controlled by a voltage-controlled signal from the control circuit, wherein a detection signal from the high-speed voltage detection circuit is activated when a power surge from the power source occurs based on the voltage-controlled signal;
a counter connected to both the high-speed voltage detection circuit and the control circuit for enumerating the number of times that power surges have occurred;
a main processor interface to facilitate the communication between the control circuit and a main processor; and
an alerting signal generator connected to the control circuit, wherein when the counter reaches a preset value, the control circuit issues a command requesting the alerting signal generator to generate an alerting signal.
16. The power surge detection device of claim 15, wherein the alerting signal comprises an interrupt signal.
17. The power surge detection device of claim 15, wherein the alerting signal comprises a power management signal.
18. The power surge detection device of claim 15, wherein the main processor interface comprises an integrated circuit bus (I2C bus) interface.
19. The power surge detection device of claim 15, wherein the preset value is set by the main processor through the main processor interface.
20. The power surge detection device of claim 15, wherein the high-speed voltage detection circuit comprises:
a comparator comprising two inputs connected to a reference voltage and the power source, and an output for generating a comparison signal, wherein the comparison signal from the comparator activates when the voltage of the power source is larger than the reference voltage; and
a control gate which receives inputs from the comparison signal and a clock signal, wherein a detection signal from the control gate is activated when the clock signal and the comparison signal are activated.
21. The power surge detection device of claim 20, wherein the reference voltage comprises an external voltage source.
22. The power surge detection device of claim 20, wherein the high-speed voltage detection circuit further comprises a reference voltage generator controlled by the voltage-controlled signal to generate a plurality of different voltages.
23. The power surge detection device of claim 20, wherein the control gate comprises an AND gate having at least two inputs and one output, wherein the comparison signal and the clock signal are connected to the inputs of the AND gate, and the detection signal is obtained from the output of the AND gate, wherein the detection signal is HIGH only if the comparison signal and the clock signal are all HIGH.
24. The power surge detection device of claim 22, wherein the reference voltage generator comprises:
a voltage generation circuit to generate a plurality of different output voltages; and
a voltage selection circuit having a plurality of inputs connected to the output voltages from the voltage generation circuit, respectively, wherein the reference voltage is chosen from one of output voltages from the voltage generation circuit by controlling the voltage-controlled signal.
25. The power surge detection device of claim 24, wherein the voltage selection circuit comprises:
a plurality of switches, wherein inputs of the switch are connected to the voltage outputs from the voltage generation circuit and outputs of the switches are connected together to provide the reference voltage; and
a decoder to decode the voltage-controlled signal into a plurality of switch control signals to control the switches, wherein only one switch control signal is activated at one time to turn on one switch.
26. The power surge detection device of claim 20, wherein the clock signal is used by the main processor.
27. A power surge detection device for detecting power surges from a first and a second power source, comprising:
a first power source and a second power source, external to the power surge detection device, for use with a high frequency device;
a control circuit, responsible for monitoring operations of the power surge detection device;
a first high-speed voltage detection circuit controlled by a first voltage-controlled signal from the control circuit, wherein a first detection signal from the first high-speed voltage detection circuit is activated when a power surge occurs from the first power source based on the first voltage-controlled signal;
a first counter connected to both the first high-speed voltage detection circuit and the control circuit for enumerating the number of times that the first detection signal has activated;
a second high-speed voltage detection circuit controlled by a second voltage-controlled signal from the control circuit, wherein a second detection signal from the second high-speed voltage detection circuit is activated when a power surge occurs from the second power source based on the second voltage-controlled signal;
a second counter connected to both the second high-speed voltage detection circuit and the control circuit for enumerating the number of times that the second detection signal has activated;
a main processor interface to facilitate the communication between the control circuit and a main processor; and
an alerting signal generator connected to the control circuit, wherein when either the first counter or the second counter reaches a preset value, the control circuit issues a command requesting the alerting signal generator to generate an alerting signal.
28. The power surge detection device of claim 27, wherein the alerting signal comprises an interrupt signal.
29. The power surge detection device of claim 27, wherein the alerting signal comprises a power management signal.
30. The power surge detection device of claim 27, wherein the main processor interface comprises an integrated circuit bus (I2C bus) interface.
31. The power surge detection device of claim 27, wherein the preset value is set by the main processor through the main processor interface.
32. The power surge detection device of claim 27 further comprises a voltage generation circuit, which generates a plurality of different output voltages connected to the first high-speed voltage detection circuit and the second high-speed voltage detection circuit.
33. The power surge detection device of claim 32, wherein the first high-speed voltage detection circuit and the second high-speed voltage detection circuit detects power surges based on a clock signal.
34. The power surge detection device of claim 33, wherein the first high-speed voltage detection circuit comprises:
a voltage selection circuit having a plurality of inputs connected to the output voltages from the voltage generation circuit, respectively, wherein a reference voltage is chosen from one of output voltages from the voltage generation circuit by controlling the first voltage-controlled signal
a comparator comprising two inputs connected to the reference voltage and the first power source, and an output for generating a comparison signal, wherein the comparison signal from the comparator activates when the voltage of the first power source is larger than the reference voltage; and
a control gate which receives inputs from the comparison signal and the clock signal, wherein a first detection signal from the control gate is activated when the clock signal and the comparison signal are activated.
35. The power surge detection device of claim 34, wherein the control gate comprises an AND gate having at least two inputs and one output, wherein the comparison signal and the clock signal are connected to the inputs of the AND gate, and the detection signal is obtained from the output of the AND gate, wherein the detection signal is HIGH only if the comparison signal and the clock signal are all HIGH.
36. The power surge detection device of claim 33, wherein the second high-speed voltage detection circuit comprises:
a voltage selection circuit having a plurality of inputs connected to the output voltages from the voltage generation circuit, respectively, wherein a reference voltage is chosen from one of output voltages from the voltage generation circuit by controlling the second voltage-controlled signal
a comparator comprising two inputs connected to the reference voltage and the second power source, and an output for generating a comparison signal, wherein the comparison signal from the comparator activates when the voltage of the second power source is larger than the reference voltage; and
a control gate which receives inputs from the comparison signal and the clock signal, wherein a second detection signal from the control gate is activated when the clock signal and the comparison signal are activated.
37. The power surge detection device of claim 36, wherein the control gate comprises an AND gate having at least two inputs and one output, wherein the comparison signal and the clock signal are connected to the inputs of the AND gate, and the detection signal is obtained from the output of the AND gate, wherein the detection signal is HIGH only if the comparison signal and the clock signal are all HIGH.
38. The power surge detection device of claim 37, wherein the clock signal is used by the main processor.
39. A power surge detection device for detecting power surges from a power source, comprising:
a power source, external to the power surge detection device, for use with a high frequency device;
a control circuit, responsible for monitoring operations of the power surge detection device;
a high-speed voltage detection circuit controlled by a voltage-controlled signal from the control circuit, wherein a detection signal from the high-speed voltage detection circuit is activated when a power surge from the power source occurs based on the voltage-controlled signal;
a counter connected to both the high-speed voltage detection circuit and the control circuit for enumerating the number of times that power surges have occurred;
an alerting signal generator connected to the control circuit, wherein when the counter reaches a preset value, the control circuit issues a command requesting the alerting signal generator to generate an alerting signal that comprises an interrupt signal or a power management signal;
a main processor interface to facilitate the communication between the control circuit and a main processor, wherein the preset value is set by the main processor through the main processor interface.
40. The power surge detection device of claim 39, wherein the high-speed voltage detection circuit comprises:
a comparator comprising two inputs connected to a reference voltage and the power source, and an output for generating a comparison signal, wherein the comparison signal from the comparator activates when the voltage of the power source is larger than the reference voltage; and
a control gate which receives inputs from the comparison signal and a clock signal, wherein a detection signal from the control gate is activated when the clock signal and the comparison signal are activated.
41. The power surge detection device of claim 39, wherein the high-speed voltage detection circuit further comprises a reference voltage generator controlled by the voltage-controlled signal to generate a plurality of different voltages.
42. The power surge detection device of claim 40, wherein the reference voltage generator comprises:
a voltage generation circuit to generate a plurality of different output voltages; and
a voltage selection circuit having a plurality of inputs connected to the output voltages from the voltage generation circuit, respectively, wherein the reference voltage is chosen from one of output voltages from the voltage generation circuit by controlling the voltage-controlled signal.
43. The power surge detection device of claim 42, wherein the voltage selection circuit comprises:
a plurality of switches, wherein inputs of the switch are connected to the voltage outputs from the voltage generation circuit and outputs of the switches are connected together to provide the reference voltage; and
a decoder to decode the voltage-controlled signal into a plurality of switch control signals to control the switches, wherein only one switch control signal is activated at one time to turn on one switch.
US09/200,175 1998-07-31 1998-11-25 Power surge detection device Expired - Lifetime US6259371B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
TW087112613A TW381213B (en) 1998-07-31 1998-07-31 Surge detector for power supply
TW87112613 1998-07-31

Publications (1)

Publication Number Publication Date
US6259371B1 true US6259371B1 (en) 2001-07-10

Family

ID=21630879

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US09/200,175 Expired - Lifetime US6259371B1 (en) 1998-07-31 1998-11-25 Power surge detection device

Country Status (2)

Country Link
US (1) US6259371B1 (en)
TW (1) TW381213B (en)

Cited By (19)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20030188066A1 (en) * 2002-03-28 2003-10-02 Atul Kwatra Method and apparatus to allow an external system management controller to trigger an OS controlled shutdown of a pc system through the system management bus
US6675301B1 (en) * 1999-10-26 2004-01-06 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Microcomputer malfunction preventive apparatus and microcomputer malfunction preventive method
US20040032336A1 (en) * 2002-03-19 2004-02-19 Walter Parsadayan Method and apparatus for detecting and recording episodic overloads in a circuit
US6819539B1 (en) 2001-08-20 2004-11-16 Cypress Semiconductor Corp. Method for circuit recovery from overstress conditions
US7142400B1 (en) * 2002-03-27 2006-11-28 Cypress Semiconductor Corp. Method and apparatus for recovery from power supply transient stress conditions
US20070228834A1 (en) * 2006-03-28 2007-10-04 Fujitsu Limited Uninterruptible power supply apparatus
US20080074817A1 (en) * 2006-09-25 2008-03-27 Agere Systems Method and apparatus for an over-voltage detection circuit
US20080126818A1 (en) * 2006-07-24 2008-05-29 Sawyers Thomas P Electronic device performance level indicator and method
US7385797B1 (en) * 2004-05-27 2008-06-10 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Power problem diagnosis
US20090002183A1 (en) * 2007-06-28 2009-01-01 Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. Surge current alarm circuit
US20090129128A1 (en) * 2006-03-26 2009-05-21 Fujitsu Limited Uninterruptible power supply apparatus
US20090213510A1 (en) * 2008-02-22 2009-08-27 Christian Klein Method and apparatus for detecting and recovering from external electrical disturbances
US20090248920A1 (en) * 2008-03-26 2009-10-01 Qualcomm Incorporated Off-Line Task List Architecture
US20090245192A1 (en) * 2008-03-26 2009-10-01 Qualcomm Incorporated Reconfigurable Wireless Modem Sub-Circuits To Implement Multiple Air Interface Standards
US20090245334A1 (en) * 2008-03-28 2009-10-01 Qualcomm Incorporated Wall clock timer and system for generic modem
US9528913B2 (en) 2014-07-24 2016-12-27 General Electric Company Method and systems for detection of compressor surge
US10418808B2 (en) * 2017-02-13 2019-09-17 Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. Detecting electrostatic discharge events in a computer system
US20190391888A1 (en) * 2018-06-21 2019-12-26 Arm Limited Methods and apparatus for anomaly response
EP4022415A4 (en) * 2019-10-10 2023-03-15 Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co., Ltd. Systems and methods for power outage protection of storage device

Families Citing this family (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
TWI463144B (en) * 2012-08-17 2014-12-01 Prolific Technology Inc Spark detection device capable of detecting characters of spark signal
CN110763974B (en) * 2018-07-27 2022-02-18 创意电子股份有限公司 Surge measuring device and method

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US4879625A (en) * 1987-12-11 1989-11-07 Potenzone Richard A Voltage monitor
US5166854A (en) * 1989-03-15 1992-11-24 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Externally discernible power supply abnormality detection system
US5440441A (en) * 1984-10-24 1995-08-08 Ahuja; Om Apparatus for protecting, monitoring, and managing an AC/DC electrical line or a telecommunication line using a microprocessor
US5790359A (en) * 1996-03-16 1998-08-04 Joslyn Electronic Systems Corporation Electrical surge protector with thermal disconnect
US5959537A (en) * 1998-07-09 1999-09-28 Mcgraw-Edison Company Variable trip fault indicator
US6031705A (en) * 1997-07-05 2000-02-29 Robert Bosch Gmbh Surge protection circuit, in particular for inputs of integrated circuits
US6107981A (en) * 1995-11-06 2000-08-22 Fujitsu Limited Drive circuit for liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal display device, and driving method of liquid crystal display device
US6112136A (en) * 1998-05-12 2000-08-29 Paul; Steven J. Software management of an intelligent power conditioner with backup system option employing trend analysis for early prediction of ac power line failure

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5440441A (en) * 1984-10-24 1995-08-08 Ahuja; Om Apparatus for protecting, monitoring, and managing an AC/DC electrical line or a telecommunication line using a microprocessor
US4879625A (en) * 1987-12-11 1989-11-07 Potenzone Richard A Voltage monitor
US5166854A (en) * 1989-03-15 1992-11-24 Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba Externally discernible power supply abnormality detection system
US6107981A (en) * 1995-11-06 2000-08-22 Fujitsu Limited Drive circuit for liquid crystal display device, liquid crystal display device, and driving method of liquid crystal display device
US5790359A (en) * 1996-03-16 1998-08-04 Joslyn Electronic Systems Corporation Electrical surge protector with thermal disconnect
US6031705A (en) * 1997-07-05 2000-02-29 Robert Bosch Gmbh Surge protection circuit, in particular for inputs of integrated circuits
US6112136A (en) * 1998-05-12 2000-08-29 Paul; Steven J. Software management of an intelligent power conditioner with backup system option employing trend analysis for early prediction of ac power line failure
US5959537A (en) * 1998-07-09 1999-09-28 Mcgraw-Edison Company Variable trip fault indicator

Cited By (30)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6675301B1 (en) * 1999-10-26 2004-01-06 Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha Microcomputer malfunction preventive apparatus and microcomputer malfunction preventive method
US6819539B1 (en) 2001-08-20 2004-11-16 Cypress Semiconductor Corp. Method for circuit recovery from overstress conditions
US20040032336A1 (en) * 2002-03-19 2004-02-19 Walter Parsadayan Method and apparatus for detecting and recording episodic overloads in a circuit
US7142400B1 (en) * 2002-03-27 2006-11-28 Cypress Semiconductor Corp. Method and apparatus for recovery from power supply transient stress conditions
US20030188066A1 (en) * 2002-03-28 2003-10-02 Atul Kwatra Method and apparatus to allow an external system management controller to trigger an OS controlled shutdown of a pc system through the system management bus
US7385797B1 (en) * 2004-05-27 2008-06-10 Sun Microsystems, Inc. Power problem diagnosis
US20090129128A1 (en) * 2006-03-26 2009-05-21 Fujitsu Limited Uninterruptible power supply apparatus
US20070228834A1 (en) * 2006-03-28 2007-10-04 Fujitsu Limited Uninterruptible power supply apparatus
US8084886B2 (en) 2006-03-28 2011-12-27 Fujitsu Limited Uninterruptible power supply apparatus
US20080126818A1 (en) * 2006-07-24 2008-05-29 Sawyers Thomas P Electronic device performance level indicator and method
US8732348B2 (en) * 2006-07-24 2014-05-20 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P Electronic device performance level indicator and method
US20080074817A1 (en) * 2006-09-25 2008-03-27 Agere Systems Method and apparatus for an over-voltage detection circuit
US7630184B2 (en) * 2006-09-25 2009-12-08 Agere Systems Inc. Method and apparatus for an over-voltage detection circuit
CN101334429B (en) * 2007-06-28 2011-06-22 鸿富锦精密工业（深圳）有限公司 Surge electric current test circuit
US20090002183A1 (en) * 2007-06-28 2009-01-01 Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. Surge current alarm circuit
US7750816B2 (en) * 2007-06-28 2010-07-06 Hong Fu Jin Precision Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. Surge current alarm circuit
US20090213510A1 (en) * 2008-02-22 2009-08-27 Christian Klein Method and apparatus for detecting and recovering from external electrical disturbances
US7911753B2 (en) * 2008-02-22 2011-03-22 Fairchild Semiconductor Corporation Method and apparatus for detecting and recovering from external electrical disturbances
US8520571B2 (en) 2008-03-26 2013-08-27 Qualcomm Incorporated Reconfigurable wireless modem sub-circuits to implement multiple air interface standards
US8458380B2 (en) 2008-03-26 2013-06-04 Qualcomm Incorporated Off-line task list architecture utilizing tightly coupled memory system
US20090245192A1 (en) * 2008-03-26 2009-10-01 Qualcomm Incorporated Reconfigurable Wireless Modem Sub-Circuits To Implement Multiple Air Interface Standards
US20090248920A1 (en) * 2008-03-26 2009-10-01 Qualcomm Incorporated Off-Line Task List Architecture
US20090245334A1 (en) * 2008-03-28 2009-10-01 Qualcomm Incorporated Wall clock timer and system for generic modem
US8787433B2 (en) * 2008-03-28 2014-07-22 Qualcomm Incorporated Wall clock timer and system for generic modem
US9528913B2 (en) 2014-07-24 2016-12-27 General Electric Company Method and systems for detection of compressor surge
US10418808B2 (en) * 2017-02-13 2019-09-17 Lenovo Enterprise Solutions (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. Detecting electrostatic discharge events in a computer system
US20190391888A1 (en) * 2018-06-21 2019-12-26 Arm Limited Methods and apparatus for anomaly response
US10810094B2 (en) * 2018-06-21 2020-10-20 Arm Limited Methods and apparatus for anomaly response
EP4022415A4 (en) * 2019-10-10 2023-03-15 Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co., Ltd. Systems and methods for power outage protection of storage device
US11914441B2 (en) 2019-10-10 2024-02-27 Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co., Ltd. Systems and methods for power outage protection of storage device

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
TW381213B (en) 2000-02-01

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US6259371B1 (en) Power surge detection device
US10963031B2 (en) Methods and systems for server power line communication
US7028196B2 (en) System, method and apparatus for conserving power consumed by a system having a processor integrated circuit
US6889332B2 (en) Variable maximum die temperature based on performance state
US8073643B2 (en) Semiconductor device
US6707281B2 (en) Method and apparatus for operating a voltage regulator based on inductor current detection
US20130318389A1 (en) Power supply management system and method
US20220229479A1 (en) Power supply unit (psu)-based power supply system
US7882376B2 (en) Power control for a core circuit area of a semiconductor integrated circuit device
US6711692B1 (en) Data processing unit including central unit and peripheral unit driven by separate power supplies
US11048314B2 (en) System loading detecting device and method
US7093140B2 (en) Method and apparatus for configuring a voltage regulator based on current information
US20030038673A1 (en) Semiconductor device
JPH0588793A (en) Extension system
US20040158747A1 (en) Processor having high-speed control circuit and low-speed and low-power control circuit and method of using the same
US8230251B2 (en) Time sequence control circuit
US6560083B2 (en) Dynamic critical battery detection mechanism
US20230258696A1 (en) Voltage monitoring system, voltage monitoring device and voltage monitoring method
US20220407305A1 (en) Current sense short protection circuit
TWI831425B (en) Power module, power distribution board and server system
US11968801B2 (en) Fan control system and method
CN214896522U (en) Discharge control circuit, board card and computer equipment
CN216771830U (en) Super capacitor power-down detection system
TWI489458B (en) Operation system and control method thereof
JPH0576127A (en) Electronic appliance

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AS Assignment

Owner name: VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC., TAIWAN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:CHANG, NAI-SHUNG;REEL/FRAME:009617/0159

Effective date: 19981103

AS Assignment

Owner name: VIA TECHNOLOGIES, INC., TAIWAN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST RE-RECORD TO CORRECT THE RECORDATION DATE OF 11-20-98 TO 11-25-98 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL 9617,FRAME 159;ASSIGNOR:CHANG, NAI-SHUNG;REEL/FRAME:010065/0001

Effective date: 19981103

STCF Information on status: patent grant

Free format text: PATENTED CASE

FPAY Fee payment

Year of fee payment: 4

FPAY Fee payment

Year of fee payment: 8

FPAY Fee payment

Year of fee payment: 12